Eighty Sci-Fi movies can’t be wrong!!! In other words, take a look at all the movies set in the future, and look at how many of them feature digital signs (often massive ones) and 3D holographic signs. Even off the top of your head, you could probably think of at least ten. There are movies like Akira, Blade Runner, Minority Report, 5th element, Robocop, Total Recall, Ghost in the shell, and the 2009 Watchman movie even has digital signs on the cover art of the European cinema posters. The screen on the right, and the projected one on the air balloon.
Robocop had its 1980s version of a digital sign. It may be an ugly version of an interactive sign, but the makers of Robocop didn't anticipate the slim-flat TV screens that we have now.
Nevertheless, we all know it isn't Robocop that started the trend of having digital signs in futuristic sci-phi movies. It was Blade Runner (1982) that popularized this idea, an idea that was first popularized in Japanese comic books.
The eagle-eyed among you will see there are four digital signs in this screenshot of Blade Runner 1982. The idea of digital signs in futuristic cities was taken from Japanese comics, which is probably why a Japanese woman can be seen on the largest digital screen. It was oddly clever of them to prognosticate on the idea of our East Asian friends being the ones who own the future since that is the way the world seems to be going.
With all this in mind, what are the eight digital signage retail benefits?
Well, not really, especially since digital signs in retail are now more common than neon signs. In fact, the digital sign industry completely replaced the neon sign industry in 2020 when the last of the neon sign companies died out during the pandemic.
The fact is that digital signs draw attention to your store or your business. We are hard-wired to be drawn to moving things. It is an instinct that we have yet to shed, which means, if something is moving outside your business or in your shop windows, then people will look (even if they don't want to).
The post-2020 pandemic world has shown us that we don't want people standing around for tasks as simple as changing room management. Rather than having somebody stand there breathing all over the customers, you have a digital sign telling people which changing rooms are free at the moment.
It may sound a little cheap and nasty, but it is only as cheap and nasty as the videos you show. If you are running professionally created video advertisements in your stores, then people will stop and watch. It is a sad-but-true fact that we are drawn to ads. That is why ad-blockers and TiVo were invented. We hate ads because they annoyingly draw us in like moths to the flame. Thus, you should use digital signage within your retail store to benefit from this.
This can be done for the “WOW” effect, or simply to guide people to certain products. Nevertheless, there has never been a better use of your Apple TV digital signage app and hardware.
You don't have to have the screened located in just one place. If you are going on roadshows and to events, then set up your digital signs around the sides and the backs of your stalls or booths. You can give very clear examples and indications of what your business and your products can do.
Many times, you can't show a side-by-side comparison of your products. However, digtial signage for retail can change that. For example, you will have a hard time testing out your chainsaws in your store, but on screens, you can show full demonstrations and side-by-side comparisons with your competitor’s products.
This is more of a common problem that most people realize. The reason it is not addressed enough is because once people know where your checkout is, then everything is fine. However, there are countless times when people can’t find the checkout. Even the people in Nike stores direct you to where to pay because it isn't always obvious. Pharmacies are probably the worst for this because the bigger stores have places to pay, to pick up medication, to buy medication only, and a place to have your nails or makeup done. Frankly, it is difficult to find the checkout without suitable digital signs.
Rather than having a demonstrator in your store, that poor sorry-looking soul who is trying to look enthusiastic about a demonstration he/she has given 20 times that week. Rather than the demonstrator, you show demonstration videos of your products on digital signage within the retail space. Place these near the items you are selling.
